Nicole Kidman has said it is “really special” to be thriving in Hollywood at this stage of her career.

The Oscar-winning star, 52, was named actress of the year at the GQ Men of the Year Awards.

Kidman recently starred in season two of the acclaimed HBO drama Big Little Lies and will appear in upcoming film The Goldfinch, an adaption of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name.

Nicole Kidman won actress of the year at the GQ awards (Matt Crossick/PA)

Taking to the stage to accept her prize at London’s Tate Modern, Kidman said her success as an older woman was opening doors for actresses following in her footsteps.

She said: “I am seeking out roles that are very complicated and diverse and being allowed to play them, being given the financing, being given the opportunities, is really, really special.

“So to be acknowledged for them is even better because it creates more opportunities not just for me but for the generations to come.”

Touching on the wider #MeToo movement and the calls for gender equality in Hollywood, Kidman said she was “incredibly proud” to be part of a movement “allowing women to take control of their destinies”.

Kidman was full of praise for Fleabag actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Matt Crossick/PA)

She said it was “definitely just the beginning” adding: “To be able to produce and say at this stage of my life it’s not over, the future is bright for me too, is also really exciting.”

Earlier, Kidman had praised British actress and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, saying she is “mind-blowing”.

Asked if she had managed to see Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag in the West End, she told the PA news agency: “I actually saw the play when she brought it to New York. I was shooting in New York so we went and saw Phoebe on stage in New York – she was mind-blowing.

“And then I’ve watched both seasons so, you know, the Emmys are coming up so…”

Kidman also said she would love to return to the West End stage at some point.